Holder for targets



Jan. 16, 1951 v. M. MILLER HOLDER FOR TARGETS Filed June 10, 1949 R M U 6 M N a m w fi T M M A V FNC Q m E y E v 5 H 7 iiiV HWY VMWWV Hmii 6 I H Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER'FOR TARGETS- Verner M.'Miller, Minnea'po'l'i'sIMinn.

'Applicatibn Juhe lO, 1949,"Serial No. 98,245

11 Claims (Cl. 2'73"102) 1 This application is acontinuationin part of my pending application Serial. No. 33,593,. for Holder for Targets, filed June 17,1948, andnow abandoned.

The object of thefinvention isto present a of said adjustable postas it:would'appearfrom the right-:inF-ig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevationalviewof aeframazwith appurtenances, of the target holder as it would appear when removed and folded up;

Fig. 5 is an elevationalview of the-disclosure of Fig. 4 asit-wouldappear. from the top of; the sheet;

Fig. 6'is. a detailsectional' view, takenias on:

line 66 inFig. 5;.

Fig. 7 is a detailsectional view-disclosing-, the: manner in which leaf springs ofthe target holder are secured to upright rods of said target holder; and.

Fig. 8' is a detail-sectional'view; taken-on-line 8--8in-Fig. 1.

With respect .tothe drawingand the numerals of reference thereon, I denotes alongitudinally adjustable.- post of thertarget'holder; and II in-' dicates a frame supported upon said post and detachably retaining a target. I2.

The longitudinally: adjustable post I0 iscon stituted in the disclosure as made-as upper and lower, telescoping tubular elements,-.represented I3 and I4, respectively,- a-- clamping member l for securing said upper and lower tubular -ele-- ments in fixed relation, an upper plug I 6 press fitted into thev upper endof the upper tubular element I3and integrally or rigidly supporting an externally threadedelement II situated above said upper tubular. element,- and a lower plugv IB press fitted-into thelower end of the lower tubular element I4 and integrally orrigidly supporting a pointed element I9 to be drivenintothe.

ground. Thelower plug- I8 has cross sectional dimension less than thatof the-pointedelement I 9," and an annular shoulder 20. provided-bysaid pointed eIement-IBand'in surrounding relation to, the lower endof said lower plug I8, is engaged against the lower end of the lower tubular element I4. Thelower end portion 2I of the upper tubular element I3 is pointed in-order that it can-bedriven into thegroundin any instance ported as at 26,-between parallel ears 21, 21 integral or'rigidwith' said strapmember. The construction' and arrangement will be such that when the camming lever 25 is situated down againstthe lower telescoping tubular element I4, as'in Figs; 1,-2and f the drawing, thev slotted portion of said-lower telescoping tubular element'will be confined by the strap member 23. and gripped: against the upper telescoping tubular element I3- thus to -cause said upper and lower-tubular elements to be secured in fixed relationto each other, andalso-such that when the camming lever25 is swung away from the lower telescoping 'tubular element I4' and upwardly, the-slotted portion of said lower telescoping-tubular element-will be released thus to allow relative. longitudinal adjustment of the upper and lower telescoping tubular elements. The-adjustablepost ID will be driven into the ground when the-atargetholder is to be appliedto use, and the obvious-purpose of relative longitudinal adjustment of the upper and lower telescoping elements l3 and I4 isfor setting a target, such as I2, atdesired elevation, as,.for instance, at higher elevation for taller marksmen and at lowerelevation'for shorter marksmen or when a marksman isto shoot from a kneeling, sitting or lying position.

Inthe disclosed embodiment of the invention, the frameI I- is constituted as an -elongated rectilinearbar 28, adaptedto be situated in a horizontalplanewhen thetarget holder is applied to use, and spaced: apart, upstanding rods 29, 29 supported upon said elongated rectilinear bar in parallel relation to eachother and in perpendicularrelation-to the elongated bar.

The'midlength of the elongated bar 28 includes a threaded opening for removably receiving the externally threaded element I'I upon the upper plug [6. The construction and arrangement desirably can be such that the upper telescoping element I3, together with the upper plug l6 as a unit, can be rotated to cause the externally threaded element I! to be situated within the threaded opening in the elongated rectilinear bar 28 to extent causing the lower surface of said elongated rectilinear bar to -be engaged against the upper end of said upper telescoping element and the upper surface of said upper plug, as in Fig. 1, thus to cause the elongated rectilinear bar to be rigidly supported upon the longitudinally adjustable post in perpendicular relation thereto.

The upstanding rods 29, 29 are disposed at opposite sides of the threaded opening in the elongated bar 28 in equally spaced relation to said threaded opening, and said upstanding rods are pivotally secured, as at 30, to opposite end portions of the elongated rectilinear bar 28. As shown, each end portion of said elongated rectilinear bar 28 includes spaced apart ears 3|, 3| alined with the elongated rectilinear bar and disposed at the opposite sides and outwardly of a shoulder 32 provided by and in perpendicular relation to said elongated rectilinear bar. Each upstanding rod 29 includes a foot or flange 33 upon its inner end disposed in perpendicular relation to the corresponding upstanding rod and situated between the ears 3|, 3| at the corresponding end of the elongated rectilinear bar, and the pivot pins 30 pass snugly through openings in the feet or flanges 33. Desirably, each foot or flange will be of width to span the distance between the ears by which supported. The construction and arrangement will be such that the upstanding rods can be swung to collapsed condition, as in Figs. 4 and 5 and in full linesin Fig. 6, or to upright position, as in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and when said upstanding rods are in upright position, surfaces of their inner end portions opposite their feet or flanges will be engaged against the shoulders 32, as in dotted lines in said Fig. 6. Said shoulders 32 constitute stops limiting the extent of inward swinging movement of the upstanding rods 29, 29 from their positions as in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and, desirably, when said upstanding rods are engaged against the shoulders they will be in perpendicular relation to the elongated rectilinear bar 28 and in parallel relation to each other.

Each of the upstanding rods 29 supports a leaf spring 34 disposed interiorly of the upstanding rod, and said leaf springs when unfiexed, as in Fig. 7, are in facing, parallel relation to each other, as well as in parallel relation to said upstanding rods. Midportions of the leaf springs are secured, as at 35, to outer end portions of the upstanding rods, outer end portions 36 of said leaf springs extend to position above said upstanding rods, and inner end portions 31 of the leaf springs extend to position below the locations where secured to the upstanding rods. As disclosed, the lower ends of the inner endv portions 31 of said leaf springs terminate in spaced relation to the elongated rectilinear bar 28, and all of the outer and inner end portions 36, 36, 31, 37 are of equal length. In effect, each of the elements 36, 36, 31, 31 is a separate leaf spring.

The free end of each of the outer and inner end portions of the leaf springs supports an at- 4 tion. As disclosed, each attaching clip includes oppositely disposed gripping arms 39, 39 pivot ally supported and urged toward each other by a tubular retainer 40. A type of attaching clip suitable to the purpose and now of commerce is disclosed very clearly in Fig. 8 of the drawing.

The target I 2 is of sheet material. It may consist of any substance suitable to its purpose, such, for example, as paper, cardboard, leather, etc. The manner in which the target is retained in the frame I I will be evident from Figs. 1 and 8 of the drawing. Attachment clips at the four corners of the target are releasably gripped thereon thus to retain said target in spread out and taut condition. The leaf springs 34 will be flexed toward each other, as in Fig. 1, when the holder is retaining a target. The exact positions of the attaching clips 38 relative to the upstanding rods 29, 29, when said. attaching clips are retaining a target, will depend upon the size and shape of the target. When the target holder is to be out of use, several of its parts can be disassembled, and other parts can be collapsed. That is to say, the adjustable post It] can be removed from' the elongated rectilinear bar 28 and the upper and lower telescoping elements l3 and M can be disjoined, and each of the upstanding rods 29, together with the leaf springs and the attaching clips carried thereby, can be swung, first outwardly and downwardly and then inwardly and upwardly, to position where adjacent the elongated rectilinear bar 28, as in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. When the target holder is to be put to use, its several parts can be very readily and easily assembled and set up.

What is claimed is:

1. In a holder for targets, an elongated bar, spaced apart, upright rods rigid with said elongated bar and extending from a single side thereof, attaching clips, and spaced apart spring members each having one of its ends secured to one of said upright rods in spaced relation to said elongated bar and its other end secured to one of said attaching clips.

2. In a holder for targets, an elongated bar, spaced apart, upright rods rigid with said elongated har and extending from a single side thereof, attaching clips, and spaced apart leaf springs each having one of its ends secured to one of said upright rods in spaced relation to said elongated bar and its other end secured to one of said attaching clips.

3. In a holder for targets, an elongated bar, spaced apart, upright rods rigid with said elongated bar and extending from a single-side thereof, attaching clips, and a pair of leaf springs supported upon each of said upright rods, each of said leaf springs having an inner end thereof secured to the corresponding upright rod in spaced relation to said elongated bar and an outer end thereof secured to one of said attaching clips.

4. In a holder for targets, an elongated bar, spaced apart, upright rods rigid with said elongated bar and extending from a single side thereof, attaching clips, and a pair of leaf springs supported upon each of said upright rods, each of said leaf springs having an inner end thereof secured to the corresponding upright rod in spaced relation to said elongated bar and an outer end thereof secured to one of said attaching clips, and the locations of securing all of the leaf springs and attaching clips-to each other lying substantially in a single plane.

5. A holder for targets comprising a supporting post, an elongated bar extending transversely of and rigid with an upper portion of said supporting post, upright rods rigid with said elongated bar and situated in spaced relation to said supporting post at opposite sides thereof, attaching clips, and spaced apart spring members each having one of its ends secured to one of said supporting rods and its other end secured to one of said attaching clips.

6. The combination as specified in claim 5 wherein said spring members are constituted as leaf springs,

7. A holder for targets comprising a supporting post, an elongated bar extending transversely of and detachably secured to an upper portion of said supporting post, upright rods secured to said elongated bar and situated in spaced relation to said supporting post at opposite sides thereof, spaced apart spring members upon each of said upright rods, and attaching clips secured to portions of said spring members in spaced relation to said upright rods.

8. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said spring members are constituted as leaf springs.

9. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said supporting post is constituted as upper and lower telescoping elements, and means for fastening said upper and lower telescoping elements in fixed relation to each other.

10. In a holder for targets, an elongated bar, spaced apart rods pivotally supported upon opposite ends of said elongated bar for swinging movement to upright position above and to collapsed position below the elongated bar, and

5 means for limiting swinging movement of said spaced apart rods toward each other beyond up- 1 right position.

-and attaching clips secured to said leaf springs.

VERNER M. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,616,176 Bremer Feb. 1, 1927 2,285,304 Reck .F June 2, 1942 

